Melbourne - Perth this Christmas holidays
Submitted: Wednesday, Nov 21, 2012 at 22:13
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Ash D2
I'm not the sit on
the beach with a pina colada person so for the last few years I've taken the 4WD out over the Christmas holidays and last year I rode my motorcycle up the East Coast for my yearly R&R.
This year my girlfriend and are thinking of Driving to
Perth from
Melbourne or Albury. I've never driven the Nullarbor before and she's never driven more than 5 hours before so this should be interesting. The Patrol is too thirsty and noisy and she won't sit on a bike for 5 days so I'm taking a newish Subaru so I guess we won't have reliability issues.
Hopefully we'll do the trip in 5 days. I'm hoping to do two days of hard driving, sit on
the beach for a day and then take it easy the rest of the time up to
Perth.
My main concerns are accommodation en route, I'm not sleeping in a tent or under the truck but she's never slept in a tent before so I'm hoping to find caravan parks or backpackers to rest my head. Do you reckon I'll get accommodation at or around Christmas? I can't really book ahead because my plans are flexible. I want to drive as much as we feel like so we have fun doing it.
My plans are
Day 1. Albury -
Adelaide
Day 2.
Adelaide -
Ceduna
Day 3. Kick back in
Ceduna
Day 4.
Ceduna - somewhere
Day 5. somewhere -
Norseman
Day 6.
Norseman -
Perth or we might go south to
Albany
Is
Ceduna a good town by
the beach to spend a day at or is there somewhere better? And do you reckon we should drive
Ceduna -
Norseman in a day (1150km) or should we split it in two and
camp somewhere in the Nullarbor?
Is there anything else that might interest us on this this trip? Any advice will be greatly appreciated especially previous experiences and information about accommodation.
Like I said, I'm not fussed about the drive to
Perth, my main aim is to make it a fun holiday.
Reply By: Luckyphil wa - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 00:02
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 00:02
Hey Ash we have crossed Oz at least a dozen times over the years in a variety of rigs.Without giving u a big read I would say by taking some
camping gear gives an option if u can't find accom as a tent space is easy to find at just about any time.Some of the accom across is pretty average and a bit hexy .
Ceduna to Noresman in a day is a big ask but can b done and
ceduna is not a great beach town but
streaky Bay to the south is a great spot so is
cactus beach located west of
ceduna about 70 k turn off at
Penong for great beach
camping with basic facilities.lots to see along the way if you are prepared to look.So many travelers miss out because of the rush to just get there.
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 07:50
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 07:50
Thanks for the info. I'm gonna take a hiking tent, mats & sleeping bags. I can't take my usual gear because I'm flying back and the canvas tent will exceed the SWL on any aeroplane.
It looks like she wants to have Christmas with the fam in Albury so we'll be leaving from there on boxing day which means we don't have much time if we want to get to
Perth by NYE. Might
camp at
Streaky Bay thanks but it'll only be for a day because I'll need to make tracks. We'll do
Streaky Bay to Kalgoorlie in two days and
camp probably half way in between
FollowupID:
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Reply By: jacent - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 07:25
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 07:25
I agree with
streaky bay, it is awesome, there is a caravan
park right on
the beach! I wouldnt bother with
ceduna for
the beach, too many "natives"
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Rob K (VIC) - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 09:14
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 09:14
Hi Ash,
Steaky Bay is very nice but also very popular - finding a place to stay might be a challenge. I've stayed at
Shelly Beach Caravan Pk in Cenduna and that was a very nice
park (all facilities,
camp kitchen etc.) and it's right next to
the beach as
well. It's away from the centre of town (a few kilimetres) but easy to find. Check out their website.
Enjoy your flying trip.
Cheers Rob K
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 19:58
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 19:58
Might do that Rob, thanks
FollowupID:
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Reply By: patrolmann - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 14:29
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 14:29
Hi Ash,
Its a big drive but worth doing.
I did it on my own towing a van and did
Adelaide to
Ceduna,
Ceduna to
Norseman,
Norseman to
Perth.
Long days in the saddle but I had to get to WA for a wedding and being on my own did not have to deal with nagging other half lol.
Make sure you take plenty of
water as it can be very hot across there at that time of year.
Also watch for the wild life early morning and early evenings as they can really upset your plans.
Personally if you have a Patrol with a bullbar thats what i would be taking. Wont cost you that much more.
Lots of
places to
camp overnight with 24 hour
parking bays with some basic amenities.
Enjoy it and drive safe.
Patrolman
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 19:57
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 19:57
Mate I've got a GQ with everything and I'd love to take it because I won't have to stick to the bitumen but we're driving someone elses car up to
Perth for her and flying back and if it's a long monotonous drive I'd prefer to do it only once. I'll just have to get insurance in case I hit a roo.
It looks like I'll be driving from Wodonga so I'll have to do it in 5 days. I wouldn't mind trying to drive
Ceduna -
Norseman in a day. How many hours does that take if you're not speeding.
Missus might pull out and I might do it myself so I won't have to stop as much and I can sleep in the car if I've had enough.
1 - With the wildlife, does it get better after it gets dark? Can you wait for dusk to pass and keep driving? I'd do it in a Patrol but then again if you hit something you wouldn't even know.
2 - Everyone warned us about taking
water. I'll probably keep 20ltrs for drinking and in case the car needs some. You reckon that'll be enough?
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Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 20:18
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 20:18
"I'd do it in a Patrol but then again if you hit something you wouldn't even know. " You would know if you hit a camel with a patrol. We only saw one camel carcass beside the road when we drove the Nullarbor a few months ago. But heaps (literally) of dead kangaroos - you would need to be very alert to be driving after dusk or early in the morning.
Ceduna to
Norseman in a day is a very long haul - you said earlier that you wanted the trip to be fun. I'm at a loss to see how it could be fun to sit in a hot vehicle for 5 days on end and seeing nothing much but the centre line. Crossing the Nullarbor is a great trip - do yourself a favour and do it when you have a bit more time so that you can see the sights and really enjoy it.
Oh, and why limit yourself to 20 litres of
water, I doubt that would be enough. There are limited opportunities to top up and you may not be thrilled with how local
bore water tastes. Even in early October when we last came across it was very hot out there and even with the A/C on high it was hot and dry in the vehicle.
Cheers,
Val
| J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 23:44
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 23:44
How much time do you reckon you need? Six days?
And yeah I forgot about the
water in South Australia, I'll take a crate of
water bottles
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Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Friday, Nov 23, 2012 at 09:08
Friday, Nov 23, 2012 at 09:08
Six days would get you across and give you a bit of flexibility - for a few brief sightseeing stops, slower travel if you encounter strong head winds, hold-ups due to fire, quarantine checks (one each way) or any of the many things that can happen on a long trip. (eg last trip we spent maybe an hour getting a
young couple mobile again - they had stopped, driven off the road a bit to a picnic table and left their lights on - result, one flat battery. We towed them back to the road and jump started them but it cost them time. We weren't in any hurry so were happy to be able to assist).
Your stops would be 600 or 700 kms apart - eg
Hay,
Morgan,
Ceduna,
Eucla,
Norseman,
Perth. Thats 6 days driving.
I do hope that your partner has a look at this thread. If as you suggest she is not experienced at long distance travel, especially in the summer months she really does need to understand that its not sensible to plan for a fixed arrival time for such a long trip through remote country.
It is a great trip, certainly worth doing but with an understanding of what is involved.
Cheers,
Val
| J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Saturday, Nov 24, 2012 at 14:55
Saturday, Nov 24, 2012 at 14:55
Yeah I'd like to do it in six days but we have heaps more time if we need it, which is why I'm not making any hotel bookings.
I do understand that'll it'll be a big trip for someone who's not used to long drives but I know she'll enjoy it. I do have quite a bit of touring experience, I'm a mechanic and I'll be carrying duct tape.
Appreciate all the advice, I'm sure it'll be fun
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Follow Up By: patrolmann - Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 14:03
Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 14:03
Hi Ash,
Ceduna SA to
Norseman WA is 1200ks if I remember correctly.
I left
Adelaide after work one day in one of the week long heat waves of 45 degrees to drive to
Port Augusta and sleep there and get an early start the next day. Could not sleep because it was still so bloody hot, so i got back in the car and drove from Pt
Augusta leaving at 9pm to
Ceduna arriving at 1am. Remember I was in a Patrol with bullbar and I sat behind a semi and spoke to him on the two way and asked if he minded if I followed him across. Slept opposite servo in
Ceduna and showered and back on the road by 6am. Was forecast to be 46 in
Ceduna that day and believe me it was that and more the further west I got.
I certainly would not advise anyone to drive from Cenuna onwards at night Ash.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: peter s62 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 16:00
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 16:00
Ash D2, how about stepping back a bit!
You haven't driven the Nullabor, your g/f hasn't driven to anywhere furthur than 5 hours away and yet you think you will enjoy a trip that entails hard driving where you 'll see very little other than a straightish road. The best way of not enjoying the Nullabor is to do it quickly.
How about forgetting
Perth? Concentrate on the Nullabor and have NYE in some random place! See the rocks near
Pygery,
Cactus Beach near
Penong, The Head of the Bight, stay at
Eucla, go to and stay at the
Eyre Bird Observatory near Cocklebiddy, turn around at
Esperance and take the dirt road to Balladonia and do it all again.
Now that's a trip!
But good luck with what you decide.
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 20:15
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 20:15
If I was doing it myself that's what I'd do but she wants to get to
Perth for new years AND leave Wodonga after Christmas so it gives me a pretty small window to work with. I'm gonna do the
miles in the first two days and then take it easy for four. And even if we don't get that much time to sit on a beach I'll probably drive to Margaret River for a day or two.
Both of us like driving and I'm sure I'll enjoy it even if it's only listening to the engine hum for a week.
But thanks for pointing out the interesting bits, I'll
camp at the
Head of Bight for a night and we should factor maybe an hour to look around
Eucla. Probably won't take a friend's newish Subaru off-road though but I know someone who has a 4WD in
Perth :)
FollowupID:
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Reply By: James_Wilson - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 18:46
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 18:46
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 19:47
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 19:47
Opposite side of the country...
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Reply By: steved58 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 23:43
Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 at 23:43
Ash I have done the Nullarbor about 10 times the first was
Perth to
Sydney in 6 days towing a caravan I really enjoyed it Since then I have travelled it slower and have seen more
places that I missed travelling faster but your trip should be an easy and enjoyable one It is not as hard as people believe as long as you can appreciate the nuances of the bush and the subtle changes along the way The heat can be the problem I have crossed a week after my niece she got 40 degrees plus every day I got 30 so take plenty of drinks and refreshing food in a good quality fridge or esky make sure your a member of a roadside assistance with a good towing range if something should happen Plus never if possible drive at night it is just not worth it and at night you can see no sights I can recommend both the top tourist and the big 4 at
Ceduna having stayed at both I would go
Ceduna to
Eucla also fuel up there cheaper than border village
Eucla has a reasonable
camp ground for its location
Norseman town is not brilliant but the caravan
park is fine Just have fun do it !
Steve
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Saturday, Nov 24, 2012 at 15:04
Saturday, Nov 24, 2012 at 15:04
Wow 10 times! I've done the Himalayas twice but never the Nullarbor.
I'm planning to drive from Albury, what's the best route you think I should take? Up to
Hay and then to
Adelaide?
The Subaru we're taking is pretty new so it should have a good air-con which will be working overtime. My girlfriend doesn't like the heat but that's only something we'll have do deal with when we're not driving. I can do 50 degrees if I have to.
I need to get RACV total care so it covers me in any car, still they'll only tow it to the closest mechanic which is annoying. (they used to transport it to any place of you're choice). I'll take a few
tools to be safe.
Thanks for the advice on
places to stay, I'll keep a note of that. Can you recommend anywhere between
Eucla and
Norseman? I'm hoping to drive
Ceduna Kalgoorlie in two days and stop somewhere in between
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Follow Up By: steved58 - Sunday, Nov 25, 2012 at 21:49
Sunday, Nov 25, 2012 at 21:49
Ash
Hay then
Adelaide sounds good between
Eucla and
Norseman you could stop at Fraser Range station very good and enjoyable there however it is closer to
Norseman not half way if you want somewhere Around the halfway just the roadhouses but they can have noisy generators if you are in a tent
Caiguna is better than Cocklebiddi Fraser Range station is 100kms east of
Norseman
Steve
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Follow Up By: Ash D2 - Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 06:57
Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 06:57
Thanks, I'll take notes
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Reply By: Brian - Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 00:42
Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 00:42
Just like to endorse Shelley Beach CVpark in
Ceduna as its
well away from potential trouble ,
Penong from memory was even cheaper than
Ceduna for fuel , and Frazer range station is a very interesting place to
camp , it shortens a little your proposed leg of travel from
Ceduna to
Norseman .
Now i note in your post that you might include
Albany , IF and i say IF you have any spare time it would be almost criminal to not have a bit of a "squiz " around
Esperance even to the extent of visiting Cape Le Grande area , absolutely unspoilt beauty !
Safe and happy travels
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